Budweiser's New Redesign

It’s a redesign over two years in the making. It’s required a team of almost 30 from global agency Jones Knowles Ritchie. And the price tag? Well, only a select few are privy to that information, but it’s confirmed to at least be in the tens of millions. This is the new Budweiser.

Brian Perkins, VP of Marketing at Budweiser North America explains, "Our entire brand positioning is all around showing how much we care about the beer, that we're 'Brewed the Hard Way. We looked at the packaging we had and said to ourselves, 'Can we honestly say the level of detail, care and attention on this packaging reflects the level of care, detail and attention that goes into the beer? No.'"

While some may view this is as a defensive move against the growing craft beer culture, Perkiins insists that it’s “the move of a leader.” According to a 2013 report from market research firm Affinova, though, brand perception had dropped with consumers, indicating Budweiser’s struggle against all the new offerings in the beer aisle. Either way, the refresh is a welcome sight for the 140 year-old brand.

Tosh Hall, Jones Knowles Ritchie Creative Director adds, "Even though it's an iconic beer, the iconography at that time didn't represent the heritage of the beer. [Now] it's an amalgamation of the best parts of the last 140 years of Budweiser."

The redesign is a strategic brand facelift, incorporating some of the classic elements of Budweiser’s history while eliminating unnecessary elements that muddled the message. One glance at the fresh packaging, and you’ll still recognize some of the things that are signature Budweiser—rich red coloring, the classic font, and the signature bow tie behind the name. It’s a well-known brand with an updated, more confident appearance, able to compete in a growing market by retaining its familiarity and also increasing its appeal to the freshly-21 crowd.